


Standards of Dating

by thisandthat



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gotham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-26 12:00:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13857372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisandthat/pseuds/thisandthat
Summary: I don't follow the Gotham storyline or timeline. However, as you realise I borrow bits and pieces from the show or use scenes for inspiration :).





	1. Chapter 1

_I lowered my standards when it comes to dating. The next man who can make me a sandwich I’m going to marry._

I hit post on my instagram account then concentrating on my scientific article again. A few seconds later my phone informed me of an alert. A BRITISH man who can make you a sandwich. The reply to my post read. I chuckled. That was my friend Sammy who was sitting in the library with me. A bit further away, though, so we wouldn’t talk all the time instead of working. I raised my thumbs to her, grinning. Whereas my friend continued working I looked around. We were the only ones in this part of the library. It was Friday afternoon, and it being a long weekend most students had already headed home. We were sitting in the reading section. I was sitting by the big window facade. Behind me the reading section was flanked by a row of books. Whereas the lights above us provided enough light to work comfortably the rows surrounding us were dark. You know you work too much when the motion detector in the library switched off the lights between the rows of books, I thought to myself.

Around 30 minutes later the lights near the entrance to the floor flicked on. Heavy footsteps could be heard as a person walked the main aisle between the book cases, coming closer to where we were sitting. I could not immediately see who it was as the book cases blocked my view. The person walked past the last one before the library opened up revealing the reading section. The dark figure stood unmoving looking around. As the final light switched on I could finally make out who it was. I was surprised by who I saw. It was Alfred. Even though my friend and I were alone, on the whole level it seemed, I whisper-yelled his name and waved at him. He turned to me and smiled slightly.

"There you are, Miss."

"Is everything ok? Is Bruce ok?", I asked in lieu of a proper greeting as he walked towards me with big steps.

"Everything is quite alright.", he smiled.

He took a chair and sat next to me, putting a little Tupperware container, which I hadn’t seen he carried with him until then, next to my computer on the table. I looked at the container then at Alfred. He smirked, a sparkle in his eyes.

"What is that?"

"This, my dear,…“, he tapped the box slightly, "… is a sandwich.“

He seemed quite pleased with himself. I beamed at him. "Thank you, Alfred. You’re the best. I am really hungry."

Alfred looked a bit flustered. He always did when I paid him a compliment. I opened the box and took out the sandwich to take a hearty bite when I noticed that Alfred was still looking at me expectingly.

"Wait, you came here all the way just to bring me a sandwich?! You really are a good man, Alfred."

Sammy cleared her throat. I looked at her questioningly. "Your post.“, she whisper-yelled.

"My post? Oh, my post! Oh!“, I blushed, looking down.

Apparently my friend immediately knew what Alfred was up to. "Plus, he IS British. When you guys marry, I want to be bridesmaid." When not if. I gave Sammy a look.

"Before we get married, maybe you would like to pick up Bruce from school with me?" I must have looked at him funny because he added: "I mean, I know he’d like to see you."

"Yes, you should call it a day. You worked hard all week." Sammy, the matchmaker, interrupted.

"Yes, ok, ok.", I laughed. I’m going to get her back for that and she knew it. I turned back to Alfred.

"I would love to pick up Bruce with you, Alfred. Let me just get all my stuff and I also have to bring back these books." Sammy gave the thumps up as I did earlier. I rolled my eyes and I got up from my chair. Alfred, ever the gentleman, carried the heavy books back to the counter for me. When I bid Sammy goodbye she kept staring at the Tupperware container in my hand. I knew what she was trying to do. I feigned shock, clutching the container to my chest.

"Alfred made the sandwich for _ME_!“

My friend gave me the puppy eyes. I looked at Alfred asking for the OK. Alfred stood next to me in his butler version of parade’s rest. “Of course, I could always make Miss another one."

Sammy immediately made grabby hands, including needy noises, at the container and I relented handing it to her. She put it in her backpack, thanking Alfred and promising to bring his container back next week. I bid Sammy goodbye (again) and Alfred and I made our way to the car in companionable silence.

"When I think about it, we could also have dinner together. The three of us." I squeezed Alfred’s upper arm gently, beaming up at him: "That would be lovely, thanks." Alfred opened the car door for me. After we had settled into the car seats I had to ask him: “So, since when do you check my instagram account?"


	2. The Call

It was in the early afternoon and I was preparing for teaching my next class when I got the call from Gotham General Hospital. Apparently Alfred was hurt badly but they wouldn’t give me more information over the phone. Thankfully Sammy took over my class so I could rush to the hospital immediately.

In the car my mind was racing a million miles an hour. They told me Alfred’s life wasn’t in danger but still, it unnerved me that they didn’t tell me what had happened. Apparently Bruce was with him, he was alright. Thank God. Only two days ago after Alfred had picked me up from the library we were sitting in the garden of Wayne Manor together. Alfred had made a fantastic dinner and we were enjoying the warmth of the sun. It was one of those rare days when Bruce seemed carefree, letting me chase him around the garden, barefoot. He ate properly, he laughed at one of Alfred’s stories. He seemed to enjoy it even more when Alfred and I were teasing each other, me being a bit too cheeky and Alfred trying to hit me playfully with a tea towel in turn.

When I arrived at the hospital I basically jumped out of the car (I was probably parking in a no-parking zone) and ran to the entrance. Thankfully there wasn’t a queue at the reception.

"I’m here for Alfred." I had to catch my breath for a second. The lady behind the counter smiled sympathetically at me.

"Excuse me. Alfred Pennyworth. The hospital called me. He is Bruce Wayne’s guardian."

After checking her computer, she directed me to a private room on the second floor. Alfred wasn’t in intensive care. I thought this to be a good sign. In the elevator I caught my reflection in the mirror. I looked like I just ran a marathon. My hair was all over the place and my face was flushed. I tried to make myself look presentable and more importantly not in total panic mode. _OK, get a grip._  I told my reflection. _Alfred and Bruce need you._ The ride up to the second floor took way too long for my liking. At the same time I was scared what lay ahead of me. Finally, the ding of the elevator announced that it had reached the intended floor. On my way to Alfred’s room I passed the nurse station and nodded in greeting to the nurses working there.

When I reached the right room, I took a deep breath, trying to level out my heart rate before I opened the door. I saw Bruce first. When he spotted me he immediately jumped out of the chair he was sitting in by Alfred’s bedside and rushed towards me. He fell into my arms and hugged me tightly around the waist. "He got badly beaten up.“ Bruce mumbled into my chest. As I was stroking Bruce’s hair my gaze fell onto Alfred. He had a rather big gash above his right eye, his right cheek was busted and he had a split lower lip. He was awfully pale but… my eyes met his blue ones, he smiled at me. Oh God! I took a deep breath and most of my tension that I held since the phone call seemed to flow out of my body. Alfred was awake and responsive. Except for the heart monitor, no machines. I pulled Bruce tighter to me and smiled back, even though I felt tears spring to my eyes. Yes, Alfred was beaten up badly but he was ok, he was here. Bruce and him were alright. I kissed the top of Bruce’s head, which made him look up at me. "Alright?" I sniffed slightly. Bruce, ever the brave boy, nodded.

A knock on the door made me turn my head. A nurse asked if maybe she and Bruce could look for a little snack for him. Bruce looked at me questioningly. I took his face into my hands "It’s ok. You can go." I gave him a kiss on the side of his head and let go of him. I was surprised that he went with the nurse so willingly. Then again I knew Bruce to be very wise for his age and he clearly wanted to give Alfred and me some time alone.

When Bruce was gone I took the chair next to Alfred’s bed.

"Hey." Alfred rasped.

"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?" I laid my hand next to Alfred on the bed but didn’t dare to take his, even though I wanted to touch him to reassure myself that he was really there and safe.

"Peachy. Just need a little nap and then I’ll be right as rain." Now up close Alfred looked even more awful. He looked ashen and his skin was slightly sweaty. They had cleaned up the gashes on his face pretty well but the way he was laying there, hardly moving to greet me, told me that these weren’t his only wounds.

"I see." Apparently, Bruce wasn’t the only one trying to be brave. "What happened to you?"

"Just got into a bit of a quarrel." Alfred tried to smile reassuringly at me.

I could take a hint. "I see. OK, we can talk about what happened later. I’ll better let you catch some sleep then."

As I stood up from the chair Alfred’s demeanor changed immediately. He raised his arm towards me, hissing, clearly being in pain. "You stay here."

"Of course, I’m staying, Alfred. I just wanted to see where Bruce is." I looked at him alarmed. "What do you…?" Before I could finish Alfred interrupted me. 

"It’s dangerous out there. You and Bruce, you ain’t going nowhere till I’m up and about. You hear me?!" I looked down at my shirt. His hand had grasped its hem weakly. Dangerous? I didn’t know what he was talking about and I’ve never seen him like that. I swallowed and looked at him.

"Alfred, I…". Again he interrupted me immediately.

"Promise me!" Alfred had leaned towards me and grabbed my right hand. His was slightly clammy I noticed or maybe it was mine. Alfred looked at me insistently, his eyes moving rapidly, pleading with me. To be honest, he started to worry me.

"I promise." I said, squeezing his hand. "It’s ok.", I tried to soothe him. I put my left hand on his shoulder, pushing slightly, trying to get him to lie down again. Alfred wouldn’t budge. "Alfred... " I tried again. I’m here and I’m going to take care of Bruce."

Only then did Alfred’s eyes softened and he leaned back onto the bed again, sighing. I saw his eyes getting heavier and heavier but he obviously fought sleep. "Get some sleep, Bruce and I are right here.", I whispered and sat back down on the chair. Alfred let his eyes fall closed slowly and I watched his breath even out. Only then did I realise that he was still holding my hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't follow the Gotham storyline or timeline. However, as you realise I borrow bits and pieces from the show or use scenes for inspiration :).


	3. Looking after a billionaire

Of course, it did not only require a nap for Alfred to get better. The hospital wanted to keep him for a few days, much to Alfred’s chagrin. I insisted, however, that he stayed there to make sure he was under observation. It was a bit of a struggle but in the end, Bruce did not get a guardian from the state and I was allowed to stay with him. The advantages of being a billionaire and the prince of Gotham, I suppose. Bruce and Alfred still wouldn’t tell me what had happened and I was tired of asking. I would start investigating properly once Alfred was back to his former self.

At first, I thought I would not be up to taking care of a pre-teen. So much responsibility but with Bruce it was different. He was really grown up and self-efficient for his age. Honestly, it nearly broke my heart. He really should not be like that. He should be carefree, thinking about where to build a tree house or how to best prank Alfred not who the murderer of his parents is. Yes, the murder, of course, changed everything. Now there was a life before and a life after.

In the before, I would often visit the Manor for afternoon tea or Thomas would bring little Bruce to the hospital with him. I enjoyed showing Bruce around. He was such a bright, naturally curious boy from an early age. After his parents’ death, Alfred watched Bruce like a hawk. He would not let anyone close to Bruce. Apart from Detective Gordon, maybe. (It hurt, but who can blame him.) This had changed in the last few days with invitations coming from Alfred more frequently. (I suspected Bruce being behind most of them.) Still, I was surprised that he would let me take care of Bruce. Alone.

Even under heavy pain killers, Alfred gave me stern instructions about the daily routine he would usually follow with Bruce. He would also let me know who I could expect on the estate, like the gardener. Alfred also stressed several times, not to let a “minx called Selina” in. Under no circumstances. I was confused at first. Was he talking about a stray cat? I put it down to the pain killers and did not press any further. 

So for the next few days, I moved into Wayne Manor. Alfred’s territory. I was immediately scared to touch anything. Not only did Alfred keep everything impeccably clean, but I was also scared to break anything. Everything in the Manor looked extremely old, expensive and irreplaceable. I hoped that nothing crazy happened whilst I stayed there, like a pipe burst or something.

I peeked into the fridge. Thank God it was fully stocked. I first thought it was a coincidence that Alfred went grocery shopping before the “incident” but then I realised that Alfred was always prepared, was he not?

“Are you looking for anything specific?” A head popped up very close to mine. I slammed the fridge door shut, nearly trapping my fingers in the process. Behind the door stood Bruce. I held my hand over my heart. “For Christ‘s sake, Bruce. You scared me!” He gave me a little smile in response.

“I was just checking if we needed to go grocery shopping. Are you hungry?”

“No, not really. I am going back to my studies.”

“OK, let me know if you need anything. I will check on you in a little while.” Leaving Bruce to his own devices was OK with me for now. It gave me some time to get my thoughts in order and look through my list of what I had to take care of until Alfred was back from the hospital. Maybe Bruce needed some time alone, too. However, I would make sure that Bruce would not get lost in his own mind.

**** 

It was an hour later, I just got a glass of water from the kitchen, and was on my way back to the living room when…

“You are new!” I heard a girl’s voice say. I shrieked and let the glass fall. I saw a girl clad in black crouched on the back of the couch. She looked cute. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, letting my arms fall to my sides in defeat when I looked at the broken glass and water puddle on the polished floor.

“You must be Selina, I suppose. Let me quickly clean that up otherwise Alfred’s gonna kill me.”

“Knowing Alfred as I do, he just might,” Selina said without malice, only amusement in her voice. Her eyes twinkled. I only chuckled, quickly going to the kitchen to grab a towel, brush and dustpan.

“He’s really something, isn’t he?”, I remarked upon coming into the living room again. I crouched down to clean up.

“More like a big grouch.” I looked up at Selina. She had changed position and was now sitting cross-legged on the couch. I smiled and got back to my cleaning before the water would leave stains. I understood that to people who did not know him he might come off as rough in some instances. “Alfred has a heart of gold. You have to understand he is only worried about Bruce.”

“What about me?”

I looked up startled. “Could you two please stop creeping up on me.”, I said in desperation.

Bruce started walking towards me asking me what had happened but once he caught sight of Selina, he stood still. 

“Selina!”, he exclaimed in astonishment.

I looked between Bruce and Selina, wet tissue still in hand. Whilst Selina tried to look indifferent, he looked at her in awe? On the inside, I squealed. Bruce got a little girlfriend. Of course, Alfred would not like that. Bruce was immensely smitten with her, so much was obvious. I thought it was cute. My mind was made up. She would stay.


End file.
